Adjustable couch-casket.



No. 706,393. Patented Aug. 5, |902.

.1. ERNST.

ADJUSTABLE coucH cAsKET.

(Application led Mar. B, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 706,398. Patented Aug. 5, |902.

. J. ERNST.

ADJUSTABLE CUCH GASKET.

(Application led Mar. 6, 1902.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Inventar; [Vit/765s Jose/n rmt .By his Mrrzeyu,

irren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ERNST, OF CINCINNATI, OI'IIO.

ADJUSTABLE COUCH-CASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,398, dated August 5, 1902.

Application filed March 6 1902. Serial No. 96 ,957. (No model.)

To all whom tano/y con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ERNST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Adjustable Couch-Casket, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to caskets or cofiins for the burial of the dead; and it consists partly in a combined casket and burial-couch, made of hinged parts adjustable in position, so designed and arranged as to be readily convertible in several forms of support.

It also consists in the combination of parts and in certain details of construction, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a perspective View of the casket partly open and showing the various fastenings. is an enlarged side view of the hinges on the side of the casket with a portion of the strap on the bottom. Fig. III is a partial section on the line y `y of Fig. II. Fig. IV is a section of the hinge on the line in Fig. II. Fig. V is a view of the fastening of the top straps. Fig. VI is a partial section of the top and the bracket 7, showing also the pins I0 in place. Fig. VII is a perspective view of the couch arranged in a flat condition, the tops 3 being folded under and the right-hand end showing the triangular iillingpieces 24 in place. Fig. VIII is a top view of part of the end of the casket with the top removed on the upper side and thrown out on the lower side, showing also one form of the fastenings for the top of the end pieces. Fig. IX is a plan view of an end of the casket, showing the end pieces partly spread and the fillingboards 24: in place between them. Figs. X and XI are diagrammatic perspective views showing two other forms in whi ch the casketcouch may be set up for use before burial.

It is generallyrdesirable before burial of a corpse to lay it out for exposure to view, and to avoid the somber appearance of an ordinary coflin some form of couch isoften used. Various tastes require various forms of support for this purpose, as illustrated, for eX- ample, by Figs. I, VII, X, XI. I therefore make the casket with octagonal or other ends and join the bottom 1, sides 2, top 3, and all end pieces, as #I 5 6, together by means of a peculiar form of hinge, Figs. II, III, which Fig. n'

admits of the parts being placed and securely held in any desired angular position. Metal straps 12 are placed on the sides and similar straps 11 on the ends. On the bottom and top are straps 19 20 21, having grooved cylindrical heads 15. The straps l2 and 19 are hinged together at 18, so that strap I2 revolves about the center of the head 15. Strap 12 carries a sliding bolt 13 in guideways 14, which bolt is provided with a turned-up end 17 for handling it and has a slot in which is placed a set-screw 16, Fig. IV. As shown in Fig. III'best, this bolt 13 tits in any one of the slits or notches in the head I5, and being fixed in position by the screw 16 holds the board to which it is attached, as 2, firmly at the desired angle. The combination of straps 12 19 2O 21 entirely surrounds the casket and when the bolts 23 are in place makes a very firm binding of the whole. Other fastenings, such as screws, may be entirely dispensed with. While the bolts 13 of the hinges 12 19, dac., will generally be sufficient to hold the end pieces in place, for additional security I have provided the bracket 7 at the top of the end 5, into which the studs 10 fit when'the top is closed down. The pieces 4 and 6 are secured to these ends 5 by common catch-locks 8, having tongues which it in the eyes 9.

In Fig. VIII is shown an alternative arrangement, in which each of the end pieces is provided with a perforated bracket 7 7, and the top has corresponding studs l0 to fit in the same. In this case the snap-locks 8 9 may be dispensed with.

Ordinarily I prefer to make a bevel-joint between the parts, (see Figs. VIII, IX,) which makes it more convenient for the undertaker to apply his upholstering without interfering with the action of the adjustable parts. When the parts are arranged to form a couch, there are spaces between the sides and end pieces, and I generally provide triangular filling plates or boards 24 to close these spaces. For this purpose the several boards have sawed slots in their edges, as shown in Figs. VIII, IX, in which the plates 24 may rest. There will be several sets of these to meet the requirements of the several positions in which the boards are set, as will be evident.

These may be made of thin boards or sheet metal or any suitable material, such as an IOO l sunk in the Wood, as will be evident.

Vthe brackets 7 7 or by the snap-locks 8 9, as

elastic-web cloth, in case an expansible llin g is required for tine alterations in the spread.

The casket may be arranged in the flat form of Fig. VII when the top boards are turned under the sides, or one end may be raised in the form of Fig. IX, or the sides may be arranged vertically downward, with the top boards on the floor, as in Fig. X, or the sides, as well as the end pieces, may be set at an angle with the bottom, as in Fig. XI, when the bottom will be supported partly on stools and the near end pieces turned downward to the floor. There may be various other arrangements, as the undertaker. may please, and the couch may be easily dressed to suit any taste. When all is ready for the iinal burial. the set-screws 16 are loosened, the bolts 13 withdrawn, the boards placed in upright position and there fixed again by the' bolts 13, when the top being let down the straps 20 21 are bolted together and the end pieces further secured by the studs 10 and the case may be. All oi' these latter fastenings may, if desired, be omitted, making the inner surfaces of the parts clean of obstructions. The hinges are made sufficiently strong to hold the sides and end pieces 'securely in their normal positions Without further fastenings. The hinges may be made all of cast metal, saving the bolts 13 and the set-screws 16. For better appearance the straps forming the hinges may be all counter- I am aware that other caskets have been made with parts hinged together; but by making the ends octagonal Orotherwise in section and having each end piece independently movable and .fixable and by providing the filling-plates 24 I make it possible to form any desired shape of couch without additional boards, and, moreover, the speciallydesigned hinges makeit unnecessary to have any other fastenings for the normally set-up casket than for the conch, as explained.

Other advantages will appear clearly from inspection of the drawings. f

I do not bind myself to the specic arrangement of the hinges. They might be placed inside instead of outside, and other changes are within the scope of the invention. I believe I am. the irst to make all parts hinged i together and adjustable and capable of bei ing fixed in any position, and,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following: l

1. The couch-casket having independent angularly-movable sides, top and end boards, said sides and ends being attached to the bottom by hinges having heads with a circumferential series of slots therein and a coperating bolt to fit in any one of said slots whereby the parts may be adjusted and tiXed in any desired angular position, to form couches of varying shapes, as set forth.

2. An adjustable couch-casket having movable top, sides and end pieces, each joined with a hinge provided with means for setting and locking the same at any desired angle, and provided also, with removable filling plates or boards to close the spaces between the saidgends and sides when the same are set at an angle with the normal vertical.

3. A couch-casket having hinged sides and end pieces adjustable in -position angularly, and removable tilling plates or boards to close the spaces between said sides and end pieces when the same are spread apart.

4. A couch-casket having hinged sides and end pieces each provided with slots in its edges, and sets of filling plates or boards designed to rest in said slots and close the spaces between the sides and end pieces when the same are spread apart at any angle.

5. An adjustable casket having hinged sides and top and surrounded with a continuous series of straps hinged at the corners and having means for fastening the loose ends across the top of the casket.

6. A casket having hinged sides, top and end pieces, adjustable in angular position, some of the end pieces being provided with perforated brackets and the top having fixed studs arranged to fit in the said perforations of the brackets when the casket is closed in normal position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in the presence of the two subscribing Witnesses.

\ JOSEPH ERNST.

Witnesses:

FRED ERNST, GEO. E. MILLS. 

